Breaking Dawn Edward and Bella's Story
by Aniflandango
Summary: This is my take on breaking dawn and it picks up right where eclipse left off. Chapter 3, and possibly other chapters to come deserve the M rating. Enjoy :-
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Telling Charlie

The vivid pink hues of dawn snaked across the horizon and painted the sky the color of my cheeks. My mind drifted back to the conversation I'd had with Edward just a few days ago, about the most memorable nights of our lives. Tonight definitely topped the list.

Despite being unable to read my thoughts, Edward knew exactly what I wanted. He untwined his icy fingers from mine and stroked my face, rolling over with one of those quick, disconcerting movements of his, so that his strong, marble body rested lightly on top of mine. Without speaking, he turned the magnificent power of his golden ochre eyes on me. My heart fluttered erratically and I blushed scarlet. At the sight of my flush, his perfect lips spread into a crooked grin as he pressed them against mine and kissed me deeply. And to my delight, not as cautiously as usual. My mind went blissfully blank as I inhaled the tantalizing scent of his skin and fiddled with the diamond ring on my third finger. When it came to Edward, there was simply no getting used to him. Truthfully, I never wanted to get used to him.

I broke away from Edward to catch my breath, and he muttered softly in my ear,

"Bella, love, its time. Charlie has to know sooner or later. I'll be with you the whole time, just like I was tonight."

I groaned. The surreal moment was spoiled as the image of Charlie's face contorted with anger and shock slid into place in my mind as I delivered to him the news of my impending marriage.

"Just a little while longer, Edward. Give me some time to collect myself." I whined. My resolve was firm, I had to cling to this moment as long as possible.

"Bella, you had all night. And you were the one who wanted closure, remember." Edward said, a warning note etched in his tone. When this didn't seem to be working, Edward changed his tactics.

"I love you Bella. I want to be with you for the rest of eternity. If that's what you wish too, don't you think Charlie and Renee have a right to know about it?" His golden eyes smoldered at me and melted my resolve. His lips against my throat obliterated it.

"Ok" I gave in.

The moment the words were spoken, I saw the ground disappear beneath me and the sky replace it as Edward scooped me up in his arms. I squeezed my eyes shut as he shot like a bullet through the forest and lighted onto Charlie's porch. With Edward's arms protectively around my waist, I reached for the spare key and swiftly opened the door.

"Bella, is that you….." I heard Charlie's weak voice from the top of the stairs. I'd forgotten how early it was.

"Why are you back from Jessica's house so early?" he exclaimed bleakly, his eyes half closed.

" Chief Swan, Bella has something to tell you." Edward's honey-coated voice filled the empty house with music. I shot him a menacing look for getting to the point so quickly. He responded with a mocking smile.

Charlie's eyes flew open at the sound of Edward's voice and his eyes narrowed in anger as he rushed down the stairs.

"Edward! What are you doing here?"

"Da..aad, Can Edward and I come in. I have to tell you something. It's important." My voice cracked pathetically."

" Of course honey, what's wrong?" His eyes shot suspiciously at Edward.

"Nothing's wrong. I just don't know how to tell you this."

Charlie's eyes widened in apprehension as he glanced from me to Edward and back again. I took a deep breath, and a voice in my head told me to just get it over with. Edward squeezed my hand in encouragement, his face solemn. When I finally spoke, my voice was dry and raspy and my words came out in a rush.

"Edward and I are engaged." I held out my left hand and flaunted the dazzling ring as proof. I closed my eyes, reveling in the calm before the storm.

"WHAT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! THERE IS NO WAY I AM ALLOWING THIS! EDWARD GET OUT! BELLA, YOU ARE GROUNDED FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY AND I MEAN IT!" Charlie gasped for breath, his face redder than a tomato and his eyes blazing. I started crying.

Edward hugged me tighter and spoke with his authoritative voice,

"Chief Swan, please, hear her out. I know you haven't forgiven me for what I did to Bella last year. I agree, it was a horrible mistake and I have to live with it every day. But I know now that I cannot live without Bella, and I will love her and protect her for the rest of my life." His golden eyes burned with emotion and passion, and the force of them seemed to have struck Charlie speechless for the moment, though he was still fuming.

"Dad! I—

" NO BELLA I--"

" NO DAD LISTEN TO ME!" My heart was pounding against my chest as the adrenaline rushed through my veins. I took a second to calm down.

"I am going to marry Edward regardless of what you say. I love him more than life. You saw what I was like without him dad, how can you let that happen to me again? Well, anyways, all I was hoping for was your blessing. It would make me happy if you were there for me on my wedding day, but if you're not, then that's your choice. I'll deal with the disappointment okay." I stopped before the strength in my voice wavered and I broke into tears again. Charlie's fuse seemed to have burned out, but he still looked at me, this time with sadness in his eyes.

"Bella, I thought you were smarter than this. You saw what happened to your mom and I. You know I just want what's best for you. He left you once, he didn't care enough to check on you, he could do it again. Please, Bella." His eyes were piercing through my heart and his pleading tone brought tears to my eyes again. But when I noticed Edward's agonized face, contorted with pain and regret for his mistakes, and Charlie, with his eyes only for me, anger suddenly boiled beneath my skin.

"DAD! YOU DON'T KNOW THE HALF OF IT! EDWARD LEFT BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR ME! HE WAS DYING INSIDE THE WHOLE TIME I WAS AWAY. THAT DAY YOU GROUNDED ME FOR DISAPPEARING AND RETURNING WITH EDWARD, IT WAS BECAUSE EDWARD WAS GOING TO COMMITT SUICIDE AND I HAD TO SAVE HIM! THAT'S HOW MUCH HE LOVES ME CHARLIE, THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT EACH OTHER. WHY CANT YOU UNDERSTAND!"

I collapsed, out of breath, into Edward's lap. He looked at me, his eyes stricken and dumbfounded, his body rigid. It suddenly sunk in that I might have said too much. Charlie wasn't supposed to know what happened the night I went to Italy with Alice. This was going to bring on an onslaught of new questions which would have to be answered. Great, Bella. You blew it.

"Edward attempted suicide? Why?" Charlie spoke in a low whisper, his voice skeptical and his eyes alight with curiosity.

Edward looked away, his jaw clenched and his body still as stone. He was nervous, I could tell. I sighed, and spoke,

" He thought I was dead."

Charlie searched my face for any signs of dishonesty, and when he couldn't find any, he continued with his interrogations.

"Why on earth would he think that?"

" Do I have to explain this Dad?" my voice was strained and tired

"Yes, you have to" he replied sternly.

I sat in silence, trying to think up a story that wouldn't implicate anyone or reveal the Cullen's secret in any way. This was going to be incredibly difficult. Charlie waited impatiently. Edward refused to look at me, he was probably too sick with worry. Oh, why did I have to screw up everything?

Finally, I decided on a story. It was almost the truth, just excluding the whole 'the Cullens are vampires, and Alice can see the future, and Edward tried to kill himself by stepping into sunlight and provoking a clan of highly-dangerous vampires' part. I sucked in a breath and began. My nervousness made me slightly incoherent, and I ended up speaking harshly and bluntly without intending to.

"Well, the real reason why Edward left me was because he realized that he was really falling in love with me and we were getting really serious. He was afraid for me because of it. He thought it wasn't healthy for us to be so serious when we were so young and he was afraid he might be preventing me from enjoying other things in life. His intentions were noble, but he just made the fatal flaw of believing that he loved me more than I loved him, and that by leaving me, I would get over him and my life would be normal again. But dad, he sacrificed his happiness for me. The whole time he was away he was suffering. He made himself believe that I was happy, and that was what kept him away.

The night when Alice came to see me, she knew she was breaking the rules because Edward had forbidden any of them to come see me, since it would just make the break harder. She called her sister Rosalie that night to tell her where she was and made Rosalie promise not to tell Edward. On the phone, Alice also told Rosalie about how I had jumped off the cliff, but that I was okay.

Now, Rosalie, she doesn't like me. I guess she thought I was taking up too much of Edward's thoughts, and she blamed me for the suffering he was going through at the time. So when Edward asked her where Alice was, she broke her promise to Alice and told Edward. She also told Edward about how I jumped off a cliff, but she conveniently forgot to mention the fact that I was okay.

So Edward, in a state of panic, calls our house pretending to be Carlisle, in order to find out if I was okay. It just so happens that he calls while you were at Harry's funeral, and Jacob was over. Jacob answered the phone, and when Edward asked as to where you were, Jacob replied that you were at the funeral. Edward thought he meant my funeral. Edward loved me so much that he couldn't imagine living in a world where I didn't exist, so he left to go commit suicide. He was going to jump off a cliff, and die the way that I died. Only Rosalie knew about this, and she was in hysterics. She felt so guilty. She called Alice and told her what Edward was about to do, and so I had to go there myself and stop him before it was too late. Because he had to see me, you see, to believe that I was alive. So dad, that was what happened. Are you happy now?"

Charlie sat stock still in his chair. He was speechless, his mouth open and gaping unashamedly. He lifted his shaking hand to his forehead and rested his elbow on his knee.

Through the silence, Edward looked at me, his ochre eyes a mixture of emotions. But he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I took this to mean that he was proud of me for being brave enough to do this, grateful to me for keeping his secret, and sorry he couldn't have helped more. Perceptive, he would have deemed my analysis.

Still waiting for Charlie's reaction, I could feel the relief wash over me. It felt good to finally clear Edward's name. At least now I could feel that there was at least a fragment of honesty between me and Charlie, since complete honesty was of course, impossible.

Finally, Charlie looked up, the skin on his forehead wrinkled and his face weary, and resigned. A good sign.

He turned his face to Edward, and though it looked like it pained him to say it, he said,

"Edward… I owe you an apology. I misjudged you. You love Bella more than I could ever have imagined, and I can see that your love has endured enough to prove that it is strong. I guess I had a hard time believing that such love was possible, after what happened to me and Renee. Forgive me." Charlie's voice was so raw with emotion that it brought a lump to my throat.

Edward smiled politely and replied in his smooth velvet voice,

"There is nothing to forgive."

"Bella, I love you so much, and I hate to let you go so soon, but I can see that I have no choice. I want you to be happy. You have my blessings." Charlie smiled weakly and held out his arms.

"THANKYOU DAD!!" I flew into his arms and hugged him tight. I wished I could express to him exactly how completely he was going to lose me. But of course, I couldn't.

Once the whole ordeal was over, Edward and I left, walking down the driveway silently hand in hand. The mood was very solemn. Suddenly, Edward's turned so that he was in front of me, a mischievous smile flitting across his face. Without a moment's hesitation, he lifted me into his arms and kissed me deeply, his cold lips moving against mine as I kissed back. His fingers raked through my hair, and I could feel my mood lifting. My heart pattered, my blood boiled, and I shivered in ecstasy. I knew people were watching, maybe even Charlie from the confines of his window, but I didn't care. Edward was my life. I wanted to scream it at the top of my lungs, to tell the world that I was in love.

When Edward put me down next to him, we were both peering at each other, smiling, rather giddily on my part. Just then, Edward tore his eyes away from mine, staring straight ahead, a smirk lifting his cheeks.

"So, ready to tell Renee?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: The wedding

Chapter two: The wedding

I could feel the vicious butterflies battling it out in the depths of my stomach, and my hands were slightly trembling as I waited impatiently for Alice's return. So today was the day. My wedding. Though I still flinched at the word, it was mostly out of habit. The idea didn't really bother me that much anymore, now that Charlie and Renee approved of it.

Telling Renee about my wedding was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. Edward thought it was very odd for me to be apprehensive about it, considering that I'd willingly walked right up to a vicious murdering nomadic vampire before without a second thought. But that had seemed relatively easy since James would've killed me in a few minutes. Now Renee on the other hand, she could make me suffer for a lifetime if she really wanted to.

But, to my utter surprise, she took it much better than Charlie. She wasn't surprised at all. Of course, she disapproved, but she said that she knew that Edward and I had something stronger than the average teenage couple ever since we visited her in Florida. Renee said she suspected it even before that, when I was in the hospital, and she first saw the way that Edward looked at me. However, after giving me some warnings and motherly words of advice, she consented to give us her blessings and promised to attend my wedding with Phil. I loved my mother and her observant ways so much. I was going to miss her terribly, but she was part of the price I had to pay for true love.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed when Alice slipped back into the room, wielding a makeup kit in one hand and brandishing a hair curler in the other. I winced. This was going to be pure torture.

"Bella! Stop fidgeting! You don't want me to smear this eyeliner do you?"

I stopped fidgeting but let out an exasperated sigh to indicate that I wasn't pleased. Besides, it wasn't as though Alice's nimble fingers were capable of smearing anything.

"You don't have to put on so much. I feel like my face is cracking already." I complained.

" Bella!" Alice chided, her tone offended. "This is your wedding day! You have to look perfect! Now sit" She pushed me back into the chair with her iron grip.

I was beginning to question my sanity in allowing Alice to have her way and plan my wedding. She was like a sister to me, but I had the uneasy feeling that she completely ignored me when I asked her not to go overboard. Well, it was Alice after all, what did I expect?

"You're DONE!! Time to take a look!" Alice smiled encouragingly, her topaz eyes sparkling with excitement as she danced over to the mirror, dragging me along with her. I couldn't deny my nervousness. After almost hours of primping, I wondered if I looked any different at all. Alice gouged my feelings and replied breezily, "Don't worry. You're going to like it!" Of course she would already know.

Hesitantly, I stepped in front of the tall glass frame and gasped! I could barely recognize myself. My mahogany hair, usually wispy and tousled, was pulled up into a sleek chignon with a few perfectly formed curls framing my face. My skin, pale as ever, was flushed, and I could notice a hint of lavender eye shadow and light pink lipstick that accentuated my delicate features. But what was really spectacular was the dress. The long flowing peach gown fit me perfectly and the ruffled train dragged across the floor. It was breath-taking. Though I didn't look nearly as beautiful as Rosalie or even Alice, I did look like a slightly better, more polished version of myself and I couldn't be more pleased with the turnout.

"Oh thank you Alice! So MUCH!" I turned to hug her, but she held out her arms to stop me.

"Well if you like it so much don't go and ruin it!" She teased. Then her eyes turned devilishly mischievous and she added in a low note,

"You can let Edward do that later tonight"

I blushed profusely and looked away. Obviously Alice had seen what we were planning. I was extremely embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed! You will be a married couple after all. And don't worry, I will totally close my mind off to any possible visions that I might have after the wedding. It would be too weird seeing Edward…. You know…." She shuddered at the thought. I didn't laugh.

Just then, Esme stuck her head into the room.

"Hurry up girls, the wedding is about to start. Bella, Charlie is waiting for you outside." She walked over and gave my shoulders a quick squeeze, and whispered in my ear, "Bella, sweetie, I'm so proud of you. You have no idea how grateful I am that you are doing this for Edward. You've made him so happy." I smiled weakly in response as the butterflies resumed their violent bickering in the pit of my stomach. It was finally time. I walked carefully out into the cloud-covered backyard of the Cullen's house concentrating on not tripping, and when I did, Charlie was there to catch me. He patted me on the back but didn't say anything. He looked like he was about to cry and didn't trust his voice. That suited me just fine.

It was right as we took our first step into the aisle that it really hit me. This was it. Today was the beginning of an eternity with Edward. After today, I would have to leave behind everything I knew and live only for him, and I was ready. After today, there would be nothing left of humanity for me to cling to and I found myself looking forward to it. I was utterly and whole-heartedly in love and about to get married. What more could a girl ask for?

As if to confirm my thoughts, I looked up and my eyes immediately riveted to Edward, standing at the end of the aisle. He took my breath away, no pun intended. I had never before seen him look so beautiful, and the thought that he was all mine made my knees go weak and I had to lean against Charlie for support.

His bronze hair was fixed in its usual state of casual disarray, and his perfectly sculpted marble body was swathed in a sleek, black suit that strikingly complemented his snowy pallor. His jaw was clenched, though not out of restraint, but rather out of pure emotion. Today, for the first time, I could find no trace of thirst in his gold eyes, I could only find love, and it made my heart flutter pathetically. His radiance distracted me from the grandeur of the backyard itself. Candles were everywhere, and rose petals were strewn all across the lawn. Strung across every tree were colorful orb-like lights, and intricate ice sculptures stood solemnly in every corner. Earlier, I would have scolded Alice for such extravagance, but now it just seemed petty in comparison to what was about to happen.

Renee was sobbing in the front row, and Esme was sobbing too, though her eyes were dry.

I only felt the shortest pang of disappointment when I noticed that Jacob, my best friend, wasn't seated among my many well-wishers. But even that couldn't dishearten me today.

Finally, I felt Charlie release me and I went to take my rightful place across from Edward. He reached out and took my warm hand in his cold one, and our faces expressed what we could not courteously say in front of all these people. When he had the opportunity, he leaned in and whispered mellifluously in my ear, "You look lovely, Isabella." His eyes smoldered, and I couldn't look away from him. I had to remind myself to breathe in and out. Edward noticed my predicament and his lips pulled into that wonderful crooked smile that I loved. My heart did flip-flops. Why couldn't we just get to the 'kiss the bride' part already!!

Slowly, Edward and I took turns slipping rings onto each other's fingers, though I had already been wearing mine now for the past few weeks. I could feel the anticipation thick in the air as the priest finally said,

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Edward crushed me to him and swept me up as his cold lips caressed mine tenderly. I could smell his heady scent as I twined my fingers into his hair and he placed his hands subtly onto the small of my back. This was where I belonged. I knew it right then in the core of my being. I was now officially Mrs. Edward Cullen, and it felt undeniably and irrefutably… right.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Wedding Night

Chapter 3: The Wedding Night

I sighed in relief as Edward and I finally waved goodbye to the last of the guests and turned toward the front door. I'd have to chide Alice later about the reception, which was pure torture, but I was too tired to do it now.

Sensing my fatigue, Edward cradled me in his arms and cooed softly in my ear, "That really was an ordeal for you wasn't it! I should take Alice's Porsche away for this one."

"Yes you SHOULD! She deserves it!" I grumbled. Edward chuckled at my childish bickering. He knew I didn't mean it.

"Speak of the devil…" Edward smiled wryly as Alice pranced up to us in a flash.

"Oh Bella quit being such a wet blanket! The reception was wonderful and YOU know it! You'll thank me later for this, I know you will." She tapped her temple intuitively.

"Alice…. Not now!" I grumbled. Edward threw her a warning look, and she mocked him with a triumphant smile before gliding back toward the house gracefully. Before she disappeared through the front door, she turned and projected her voice, "And stop worrying Edward, I'll keep everyone else out of the way. Especially Emmett! Wouldn't want to disturb you two lovebirds on your _wedding night." _She crooned in the venomous voice of someone who knows more than they should. I blushed. I heard the door slam shut as Alice disappeared behind it.

Now it was just the two of us. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. The thought sent shivers up my spine, in a good way. Edward plopped himself into the grass, pulling me down with him so I could lean my head against his shoulder. I dared to glance up at his flawless face, illuminated by the full moon and glowing eerily. I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, but he pulled away. I stared at him, puzzled.

Edward's topaz eyes bored into mine, and he examined my face intently, scrutinizing it.

"Bella, you are so beautiful. I can't believe you're all mine." He brushed his fingertips across my jaw and I could feel the electricity. I wanted to throw myself onto him, but I held back, after all, I'd waited this long, I could wait another hour or so.

"I'm still dumbfounded that you picked me, of all people."

Edward sighed. "Bella, we've been over this before. You don't see yourself clearly at all. How many times do I have to tell you this?"

Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a mischievous hint of golden, "But of course, if that's how you feel, we don't have to go through with this tonight. You did say you were tired. Maybe we should do this another night."

"NO!!" I shot up in horror. "You promised!! You can't just back out now!!"

Edward threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound of it echoing off of the trees. I glared at him and slapped his shoulder as hard as I could for his little ruse, knowing that I would never so much as leave a mark. Unfortunately the same could not be said for me, and I winced at the pain in my hand. Stupid, stupid.

Edward glanced at my grimace and chuckled as he wordlessly threw me onto his back and shot off into the night. I would have protested, but we were moving so fast that I didn't want to speak for fear of disgorging the remnants of my wedding cake all over him. Within a few minutes it was over, and I slid onto the grass next to Edward. We were in our meadow.

"I thought this might give us some privacy. I don't trust Alice with the whole privacy thing, and I heard Emmett contemplating sneaking up on us. You don't mind do you?" Edward's eyes smoldered and I felt my knees give way. He caught me before I toppled over, a smile on his face.

"Of…of..course not. Why would I?"

"Well, you don't mind spending the night out here then do you? I left some blankets out here and I can build a fire in case it gets cold." His eyes twinkled with enthusiasm.

It was only then that I noticed the array of soft, downy blankets spread out on the grass and a pile of wood laid out for a bonfire. How romantic. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him deeply on the lips, my tongue only slightly tracing his lips before he pushed me away. I sighed. "I love you." Edward smiled yet again and replied… "I love you too. Now give me a moment please."

Within minutes, a fire was crackling off to the side and Edward and I were tangled up under the covers, looking out into the starry night. I burrowed my head into his marble chest and he slid his arms around my waist. Hesitantly, I unbuttoned his top button and waited to see his response. When he didn't say anything, I went on to the second button, and then the third, and then the fourth, the excitement rising in my chest. Just then, he tore himself away from me and sat upright, dragging me into a sitting position as well. I couldn't hide the disappointment etched across my face, and I avoided looking into his eyes.

"Bella… are you sure about this? Do you really want to risk this?" Edward's voice was pained. He looked desperately at me with jet black eyes, only a hint of topaz still visible in them. I could see that he was hungry, but I couldn't be sure if it was for my body or for my blood. I was relying on the notion that it was my body, as pathetically bedraggled as it was.

"Yes Edward. I'm sure. I've been sure since the moment we struck up our little deal. Even before that actually." I replied firmly, my face defiant.

"Alright then…. But if it starts to get too much, I'll stop. I will not hurt you." His eyes were completely coal black now and I was amazed to see that his hands trembled.

"You're scared?" I interjected quizzically.

"Somewhat, yes. But mostly excited. Is that sick?" Edward's angelic face had never looked more vulnerable, I felt like hugging him close. And then I remembered, I could.

"Not at all. I feel the same way."

Slowly, and cautiously, I lay back against the blankets and Edward rolled on top of me. He leaned in and I inhaled deeply, his tantalizing cool breath against my cheek. He began to kiss me. At first, it was soft and gentle as it usually was, and I wrapped my arms around his back. Then, it began to feel more urgent, and it was almost bitingly painful but I relished every second and reciprocated. I ran my tongue over his lips, and this time, he opened his mouth ever so slightly, letting my tongue in. We explored each other's mouths, him cautiously. The sensation was better than anything I had ever felt before, it was tingly and icy and so sweet. I never wanted to stop.

My hands raked across his back, and then with a sudden brainwave, I continued to unbutton Edward's remaining buttons. In a matter of seconds, his entire shirt was off.

My hands explored this new territory. His perfectly sculpted abs, hard as granite but so smooth. I caressed every crevice with my fingertips, Edward's sweet lips on mine the entire time. Then, my hand rested on the waistband of his jeans. The night progressed in a fast blur from then on, the beautiful images engraved in my mind for eternity. Edward and I rocking back and forth together, as one, piercing screams of ecstasy spewing from our lips. Edward's eyes, wild, but his mind in control. I trusted him completely with my life, and there was no fear in our lovemaking. It was perfect. We both reached our climax together and the heightened emotions as Edward's flawless body leaned over mine, the friction against smooth skin electrified me and brought tears to my eyes.

When the pleasurable pain subsided, my first instinct was to turn to Edward and wrap my arms around him, but I noticed that he was keeping a safe distance from me under the covers. He sat up, and noticing my tortured expression, responded by saying…

"Bella. I'm sorry, just give me a moment to collect myself." I realized that his jaw was still fiercely clenched and his eyes were wild. Compassion for his suffering suddenly flooded my senses.

"Of course Edward."

After a few minutes of silence, Edward slid back under the covers with me, his arm barely touching mine. About thirty more seconds of silence passed this way. I knew I shouldn't say anything to hinder his self-restraint but I couldn't help the choking feeling of rejection from bubbling over the brim and spilling out in the form of my pathetically stuttered sentence.

"Edward… was it… was I…. that bad? I'm sorry…"

As if something suddenly clicked in his mind, Edward turned to me and cradled me in his strong arms. I was glad to note that his eyes had returned to their familiar shade of topaz.

"No Bella, don't think that at all! You were perfect! You were…. This was everything I could have ever hoped for! You are amazing and I love you! I'm sorry if my silence was disconcerting, I just thought that maybe you might be disgusted with me. Disgusted that even after tonight I still had to deal with my… other…. Hunger."

"Shhh" I whispered to him, placing my fingers over his lips. "I could never be disgusted with you Edward. So let's not ruin tonight okay?"

I could see the corners of his lips twitching into that heart-melting crooked grin of his, "Of course, my Bella. Whatever you say." And with that, Edward pulled me deeper into his marble embrace. Our fingers twined together, he whispered my lullaby in a voice dripping with honey, while the stars in the sky, like celestial beings in the heavens, smiled down on the rare but beautiful sight of a lion and a lamb in love.


End file.
